Track scale for automatic weighing and sorting machines



Sept. 30, 1952;. --w. FQA'LTENPOF IL- 2,612,

TRACK @ALEFOR AUTOMATIC WEIGHING AND-SQRTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 2a, 1948 2 smms -srms'r 1 Inventor n m n e n A F m .m w w I a.

m v @K R m6 Sept. so, 1952' .w.,|=. ALTE NP OHL TRACK SCALE FOR'AUTOMATIC WEIEHING AND soa'rms MACHINES." Filed Oct. 28. 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 William F. A/tenpoh/ Patented Sept. 30, 1952 TRACK SCALE FOR 'AUTOMATIC'WEIGHING AND SORTING MACHINES William E. Altenpohl, Philadelphia. 2a.; Kathryn M. Altenpohl, executrix of; said William. F. Altenpohl, deceased, assignor to- Kathryn M.v Altenpohl, Lower-.Merion, Pa.-

Application October 28, 1948'. Serial NoQsrmis 4 Claims.

My invention relatestotrack. scales for automatic weighing'and s-o'rtingmachines of the: type forming thesubj'ect matter of myco-pending application Serial No. 719,516,.fi1ed December. 31; 1946, now Patent'No, 2,471,711, and over which the present invention is designed as an improvement.

By way of premise,. in the-machine of my copending application supra poultry weighing and sorting track scales are disclosed embodying trolley carriages including self-dumping poultry carriers-and which are propelled along'atrack comprising vertically. movable track sections formingv part of scale balance.beams'whicnwhen overbalanced by the load on the carrier permit the track-sections and carriages to descend and operate to trip mechanism releasing the carriers for self-dumping.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide in such scales for accelerating tripping of the carriers and dumpingthereof so as to speed up operation of the machine.

Another object is to obviate swinging of the carriages'laterally of the track and track sections while the same are being lowered, and as a result ofdumping. of the carriers, so that such movement of the carriages will not interfere with the tripping operation.

Still another object is to obviate lost motion in operation of the scales during tripping of the carriers so as to accomplish quick dumping and reduce Wear on the parts.

Still another object is to provide in such scales for mounting the moving parts so that the scales will be absolutely accurate.

Other and subordinate objects,within the purview of my invention, together with the. precise nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accom- Figure 3 is a similar view with the parts shown in tripping and dumping position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in plan of the mounting for the track section and the stabilizing means for the track section; I

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section taken on the1 line 5--5 of Figure 4 and drawn to a larger sca e.

2. i Figure-Glue viewinwerticalsection taken, on. the line 6-B of Figure 4 and drawn to a larger scale; v v

Figure? is a view in: planet the switch stand and also illustrating; the. circuit for the solenoid; Figure 8.;is a view in. transverse. section taken on the. line- 8--8. Qff Figure 7; v

Figurean a view in perspective of the trip lever.

Referring to. the drawings by numerals, the

track scale. with which. my improvements. are concerned. comprises a trolley carriage, vl embodying a rectangular hanger; plate '2 suspended in upright position by a pair of horizontally spacedtrolley wheels3 in an upper end' channel housing 4. onv said plate. The trolley wheels, are adapted to runon the upper edge of a horizontal flat track. 5. with a vertically movable track section 6. therein bridginga gap 1 in the lineof the track andformingapart of. the scales, in a manner. presently seen. Afeaturle' of my invention, is that a stabilizing trolley wheel Son the hanger plate 2 runs along the bottom edge of the trackiand thetrack section 6 and together with they trolley wheels 3 coacts. with the track section ii tostabilize the carriage, I" against, swinging laterally relative tov said, section... The track 5. with the. exception of. the track section 6, and, as will" be. understood, is suitably supported in horizontal elevated. position. The track 5. extends parallel to a frame angle bar 3, the purpose of which will presently be seen.

According to the present invention, a poultry carrier forms part of the trolley carriage land includes a rectangular carrier frame II depending from the hanger plate 2 in a: plane parallel therewitnwith'an upper end suitably fixed to a lower end lateral. flange l3 on said platev 2. A crotched carrier yoke 14, in the formof an M- shaped rod, is suitably secured at its ends in upstanding position on a horizontal cross shaft It in the lower end of the carrier frame H having its endssuitably journaled in said frame H for oscillation therein to; swingsaid yoke, member l4 into a forwardly and upwardly inclined, normal, position relative to. said frame I I, or, into a downwardly'and. forwardly inclined dumping position relative to said frame. In the, normal, load supportin position thereof, the carrier yoke Hi functions to support a fowl, not. shown, by the neck or feet, in the crotch of said yoke to slide out of the crotch in the dumping position of said yoke.

A counter-balance plate lfi'is fast on a collar l1 suitably fixed to the cross shaft I 5 so that said plate It extends perpendicular to said shaft in the vertical center of the carrier frame H and is rearwardly offset relative to said shaft, whereby said shaft is normally overbalanced, together with the carrier yoke Id so as to swing said yoke into its normal position. The weight of the fowl on the carrier yoke I4 tends to overbalance the counter-balance plate 16 and torotate' the same,

by means of the cross shaft I5, 50 that said yoke M will swing into dumping position. The counter-balance plate It has an upper sector end [6 with a notch l8 therein for a purposetobe explained. A vertical latch bar I9 is slidably mounted in the flange I3 of the hanger plate 2 mean upper cross bar in the hanger frame llto descend, under the influence of gravity, into the notch 18 and latch the counter-balance plate It against revolving and the carrier yoke dinnermal load supporting position. A stop lug2| on the counter-balance plate It engages the cross 1 tion by a cross shaft 23 to form a yoke 2 A graduated scale beam member extends rearwardly from one yoke arm 22 for the usual poise,

not shown, andis bolted to said arm, asat' 26, so that the yoke 24 and the beam member 25 form a scale beam; The yoke 24 is mounted on the angle bar 9, crosswise thereof, for vertical rocking movement by means of a pair of lateral knife I.

edge bearing studs 2! onjsaid arms 22 intermediate the ends of the arms and which rest in V-notched bearing lugs 28 on upstanding, right angled ends 29 of a bearing bar 30' extendin alon the top of the bar 9 opposite the gap '1 and which is suitably secured to said bar 9. The ends 29 cover the bearing studs 2'! and the lugs 23 to protect the same.

The beforementioned mounting for the track section 6 comprises a pair of V-hOtched bearing blocks 3! set into end openings 32 in said section 5 and suitably secured therein, and a pair of knife edge front end bearing members 33 on the yoke arms 22 and insa'id openings 32 and on which the bearing blocks 3| set so that the track section 6 may be stabilized against'lateral tilting about a longitudinal pivotal axis thereof during vertical swingingof said section withnthe scale beam, and whereby the carriage i is stabilized,

when on the track section fi, against lateral swinging relative to said section. The advantage of this will presently become apparent.

Stabilizing means for the; track section 6 is provided andcomprises a horizontal lateral arm Edextending rearwardly from said section 6' and suitably secured rigidly thereto, said arm 36 terminating forwardly of theaxis, of rocking movement of the yoke 24, hr scale beam, in an upstanding post 35 which is rigidly securedion the arm. A link 36 is pivoted at one end, as at 31, to the upper end of the post 35 with the other end of the link pivoted, as at 38, to a post 39 upstanding rigidly from the bearing bar Shin the rear of the pivotal axis of the yoke M, or scale beam. As will be seen, when the yoke 24 rocks vertically and the track'section 6 ascends or descends, the post 35 is maintainedby the link 35 parallel with the post 39 to maintain the and 3d horizontal and stabilize the track sectionand the carriage 5 against lateral swinging. Aswill also be seen, by thus stabilizing the track section 6 and the carriage l, the load is always suspended from the track section 6 at the same distance from the pivotal axis of the yoke 24, or the scale beam of which the yoke forms a part. Manifestly this provides for accuracy in weighing by the scales.

The described scale controls electro-magnetically operated tripping mechanism for tripping the latch bar l9 by lifting the same so as to free the carrier yoke I 4 for dumping operation in timed relation to the travel of the carriage 5 onto the track section in. This mechanism comprises a trough-like switch stand 50, of insulation material; suitably secured on a stationary support, not

shown, in the rear of the beam member 25 with a pair of contact bars 4| pivoted on binding posts 42, 53 on opposite sides of the stand for independent vertical swinging movement upon opposite sides of the beam member 25 from a normal horizontal position. The contact bars M normally rest in vertical slots 43' in the switch stand 40. The beam member 25 is provided with a rear end cap member 44, of insulation material, through which there is extended and fixed therein a conductive bridge rod 45 normally underlying the front ends of the contact bars ll, in spaced relation thereto, when the scale beam formed by the yoke 24 and the beam member 25 is overbalanced into a rest position by the poise, not shown. As will now be seen, the beam member 25 forms with the conductive bridge rod 45 and contact bars 3! a switch and the scale beam forms a switch arm vertically'movable at its rear end,

upwardly to bridge the contact bars 4|, by means of the conductive bridge rod Ale and thereby close the switch. The contact bars M are swingable upwardly to compensate for upward movement of the conductive bridge rod 45 so as not to inter" fere with the operation of the scale beam.

The described switch is interposed in a suitable circuit for energizing a solenoid 46 carried by a suitable casing d! on the lower end of a hanger bar 48 depending from and suitably fixed to the bar 9 behind the carriage I. The circuit, as shownin Figure 7, may comprise a line 49 from the binding post 43 to one side of abattery 50 connected on its other side by a line 5! to one side of the field of the solenoid 41.5, the other side of said'field being connected by a line 52 to the other binding post 42.

The core 53, of the solenoid is operatively connected by a pivoted link 54 to one end of a horizontal trip lever 55 arranged at *a right angle to the path of travel of the carriage l and pivotally mounted, in a manner presently described, for vertical swinging movement. The trip lever 55 embodies a cross rail 55 on its front end adapted to underlie a right-angled arm 5? on the latch bar l8, when the carriage l travels onto the track section 6, the arrangement being such that the trip lever 55 is adapted to be rocked by the core 53 to elevate the rail 56 under the arm 51 0f the latch bar E9 to lift said latch bar into unlatching position. The mountingfor the trip lever 55 comprises an inverted U-s'haped bracket 58 suspended in horizontal position by a plate 52 suitably fixed to the hanger platedB, and a pair of aligned lateral arms 60 on the trip lever 55 pivoted at the outer ends thereof, as at 6!, in said bracket 58. a I

The numeral 63 designates an attaching arm on the carriage I for coupling to a suitable carriage propelling chain, or the like, not shown.

A stop 65 on the latch bar I9 engages the flange l3 and establishes the unlatching position of said bar.

The operation of the described invention will be readily understood. The described scale beam is designed to be over-balanced .by.the poise, not shown, for a given weight of fowl plus the weight of the carriage I and to align the track section 6 with the track 5. A suitable stop, such as shown at 64, on the stand 40 is adapted to be engaged by the beam member 25, when the scale beam is thus over-balanced to limit downward movement of the over-balanced end of the scale beam and hold the track section 6 level with the track 5. With a fowl suspended, as described, in the carrier yoke I4 and said yoke, together with the counter-balance plate l6 latched in normal position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, by the latch bar I9, and the scale beam over-balanced as described, when the carriage I travels onto the track section 6, if the fowl is of the given weight, the track section 6 will be depressed under the weight of the load thereon causing the scale beam to swing so as to lift the beam member 25, as shown in Figure 3. This lifting of the beam member 25 will engage the conductive .bridge rod 45 with the contact arms 4 I, as shown in Figure 3, and close circuit to the solenoid 46. The solenoid 1. The combination with. a horizontal track depression of said section, and a load supporting I carriage for travel along said track onto said sec- 46, when thus energized, will retract the core 53 and rock the trip lever 55 to elevate the cross railv 56 thereby lifting the'latch bar I9 into tripped unlatching position, also as shown in Figure 3. The carrier yoke I4 will now swing or rotate into dumping position in the manner previously described, and as shown in Figure 3, to dump the fowl off said yoke. The carrier yoke I4 will then be over-balanced by the counter-balance plate I6 and return to normal load-supportin position. As soon as the carriage I travels off the track section 6 onto the track 5 the arm 51 of the latch bar I9 will slide off the cross rail 56 so that the latch bar l9 may return, under the influence of gravity into latching engagement with the notch l8 of the counter-balance plate I5. A1; this point, the scale beam is free to return to over-balanced position to lower the conductive bridge rod 45 out of contact with the contact bars 4| and break circuit to the solenoid 46. When this occurs, the

tion to depress said section, of a load supporting yoke on said carriage pivotally mounted for vertical swinging by theweight of the load thereon from load supporting to load dumping positions,

' a counter-balance plate rotatable about the pivotal axis of said yoke to swing the same into load supporting position, releasable latch means for holding said plate against rotation, and means for releasing said latch means controlled by swinging movement of said beam.

2. The combination with a horizontal track having a track section depressible therein, a pivotally mounted scale beam carrying said section onone end thereof and swingable on its pivot by depression of said section, and a load supporting carriage for travel along said track onto said section, to depress said section, of a load supporting yoke on said carriage pivotally mounted for vertical swinging from load supporting into load dumping positions, a counterbalance member rotatable in one direction about the pivotal axis of said yoke to swing the same into load supporting position, a latch bar on said carriage for latching said member against rotation in the opposite direction and being movable into unlatching position, and electro-magnetic means for moving said latch bar when the carriage travels onto said section including a switch closed by said other end of said beam when said beam is swung.

3. In combination, a horizontal frame bar, a.

, horizontal track extending alongside said bar and including a flat sided elongated track section depressible therein, a load supporting carriage suspended from said track to hang free below the same and travel onto said section to depress said section, a scale beam pivoted between its ends on said bar for vertical tilting, means pi-votally mounting said section at its ends on said beam for swinging about a horizontal axis to stabilize the trip lever 55 and the core 53 are returned to normal position by weight of the cross rail 56 which over-balances the trip lever 55 into normal position, thus causing the core 53 to assume normal position. By stabilizing the track section 6 and the carriage I, in the manner already described, the arm 51 of the latch bar I9 is held in proper position for trippingby the trip lever 53 since the tendency of the carriage I to swing laterally under the offset load thereon, and also as a result of the dumping operation, is completely neutrallzed. As will be manifest, the described scales are mounted foroperation with the minimum of friction and with exceptional accuracy in weighing.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed II It! 182 same in a vertical plane during tilting of said beam, and pivotal connections between said section and bar stabilizing said section.

4. The combination according .to claim 3 whereinsaid connections comprise a lateral arm on said section having an upright post thereon and a pivoted link connecting said post to said bar and holding said post in vertical position.

' WILLIAM F. ALTENPO'HL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,204,965 Farley Nov. 14, 1916 1,394,167 Glasner et a1. Oct. 18.1921 1,814,026 Draeger July 14, 1931 2,308,729 Walter Jan. 19, 1943 2,404,885 Pile July 30, 1946 2,436,534 Tolley c Feb. 24. 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 473,476 Great Britain Oct. 13, 1937 

